Prison staff found themselves lumbered with some extra inmates after a cat broke in to a high security prison van to give birth to six kittens.
Wardens discovered the adorable cats when they opened the rear doors of the van parked inside Parc Prison in Bridgend, South Wales.
They immediately called an animal centre to come and relieve the young kittens from their brief stretch behind bars.

Line up: Staff at Cats Protection in Bridgend named the kittens after detective legends Jessica, Sherlock, Christie, Marple, Kojak, and Morse

But their frightened mother ran off before she could be caught - and left the kittens behind. They were bottle-fed every two hours and all were doing well today.
Staff at Cats Protection in Bridgend named the kittens which were discovered on May 8 after detective legends Jessica, Sherlock, Christie, Marple, Kojak, and Morse
Centre manager Sue Dobbs, 46, said: 'It’s the first time we’ve rescued a cat from inside the walls of a well-guarded prison.
'We don’t know how the mother cat got in there - maybe inside the van.
'When staff opened the door at 8am they saw the cat and her six kittens lying there.

Freedom: The kittens pictured with their mother after being rescued from the van by Cats Protection

Adorable: It is still a mystery how the cat got in to the high security van to give birth to her kittens

'The temptation was to call them after notorious villains - but we decided to name them after more positive criminal-busting legends.'
It is thought that the cats were only in the van for one night as it is used daily.
The mother cat was later captured at the Parc Prison which houses 1200 men and young offenders.

Purr-fect: Kittens Marple and Kojak cuddle up after being rescued from Parc Prison in Bridgend, South Wales

Staff were concerned she would reject her kittens as they had been bottle fed and handled by humans.
But they solved the problem by smearing the kittens with cat food to disguise the human smell.
She has been named Agatha and was today back happily mothering her six kittens.
They will spend the next eight weeks at the cat rescue centre before being microchipped and re-homed.

On the mend: The tiny kittens need to be fed every two hours but are healthy and growing well

Sleepyhead: The kittens will spend the next eight weeks at the cat rescue centre before they are microchipped and re-homed

Hungry kitten: Morse the kitten being fed at Cats Protection in Bridgend, south Wales